So have you seen some of the Magic Street Advanced Uncorrected Proofs on ebay? ebay Cool. Won one yesterday for around $15. Fun fun fun.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Is it legal to sell those?
Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
That's what I was wondering.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
I'll be picking it up in hardcover anyway, don't want to spend the money this soon.
I think ethically you're not supposed to sell your ARC, I don't know if there's a legal injunction against it, or how it would be enforced.
Posted by Breecita (Member # 7639) on :
Most of the ARCs I have say "Property of Such & Such Publishing Company, not for resale" on the back, but I'm not sure if the publishing companies would actually press for legal action.
Of course, I'm a book junkie, so I wouldn't be selling my advanced copies online in any case. It's never something I've had cause to really think about.
And that's all I have to say. Not really much to delurk for.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
They're not supposed to sell them, and if publishers find out who did sell it, they're supposed to stop sending them copies. The point of getting them is for the recipient to read them and review them. So if they AREN'T going to read them, then what right do they have to make money from something they got under false pretences?
I've always hated the buying and selling of these things. Because it proves that reviewers are filthy money-grubbing cheats. And I wanted that kept secret.
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Yes, but now I get to review it!
So, huh, Scott, when do you need my comments by?
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
I'm eager to see them. Unless you hate the book, in which case I don't mind if you keep your thoughts to yourself for a while ...
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
I have yet to see an Orson Scott Card book I didn’t like. So I’m betting fat chance for that! Is it possible for you to write a bad book?
Well, ok, I guess the foreign language ones are kind of hard to really like since I can’t read them, but the covers are usually neat. Plus they add numbers to my collection!
So for my review do I need to look up some original quotes instead of the usual “stunning”, “wonderfully written”, “sure to be a best seller” that seem to be the norm from the professional reviewers?
Next week should be a fun mail box week as I also am expecting the second issue of Ultimate Ironman to be coming soon.
What fun!
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
I would be fine to know what this book is supposed to be about.
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
I'd love it if I had a writing gig that required me to review advanced copies of science fiction novels. That would be sweet!
Memsahib Dude Sir, if you ever feel like sending me any anyway, I'd be more than happy to write you a review. Even though I have zero credibility. Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Just got it today in the mail. Looks pretty neat.
The back cover says that it is a contemporary fantasy about a young man who finds himself dreaming his neighbors’ dreams.
Also, towards the bottom it has a “Publicity” section under the “National Marketing Campaign”. I guess this is for the reviews and editors so they can know about what’s the deal here. Well, it has listed here “Eight-city author tour including San Diego Comic-Con International”. Cool. Also, it says he’ll be visiting Morgantown West Virginia for his first ever stop there. Ok, not really, but I can always hope.
Anyway…. That’s the latest info I have for ya. I’m really torn right now since I’m about half way through the book version that came out on April 2nd of Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith. So what to read tonight….
Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
Oooh, now that last bit is a harsh comment. I guess you didn't get the memo on Card's feelings about the Star Wars prequels, Jay.
But I don't know, maybe he is, against all reason, looking forward to III. Like me. I mean, I swore I wouldn't see it in theaters. But it's calling to me.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Of course I'm looking forward to SWiii. It makes me feel SO much better about my own screenwriting. Not to mention my ability to get good performances out of actors.
Look, I gripe about Lucas's poor writing in the prequels, but I also remember this: When Star Wars hit big - against anyone's expectations - he shared money he didn't have to share with the actors and other participants. Such generosity should not be forgotten. From all I can tell, Lucas is one of the good guys. And I really DO want his films to succeed. I wish they were better - but if the first two hadn't been so good (I mean SW and ESB) then I wouldn't be so disappointed in the others.
As for Magic Street, it's just about time for us to take down the Shadow of the Giant display and put up Magic Street, along with the first four chapters or so.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Yay! Preview chapters! Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
How does one go about becoming one of those reviewers? Not that I'm looking to start a cottage industry by auctioning books, but I'm thinking book addiction + free review copies = saved $$$.
Oh, and also the sweet, soul-deep pleasure of getting to read an OSC book months before anybody else.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Become a reviewer for a publication that book publishers think it's worth getting reviews in.
You'll notice that even though I review many books for the Rhinoceros Times, and post my reviews on the web, not one publisher on God's green earth thinks I'm worth sending free advance copies to.
And remember - those free advance copies don't have the hard cover, don't have the illustrations, and often have lots of annoying typos, since they are struck from early galleys. So you're not really getting the book, and they look really ugly on the shelf.
Posted by TheClone (Member # 6141) on :
Sounds like someone is a little cranky that they aren't getting their free copies!
(Am I allowed to tease him?)
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
No. *presses the forum ejector button*
Posted by B-HAX (Member # 6640) on :
Are they ever edited for content, ie entire paragraphs removed, dialouge changed, or are they just edited for typos.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Usually there are only tiny fixes between the bound galleys (which are sometimes bound photocopies of the manuscript) and the published version. But sometimes whole chapters are deleted or added; sometimes endings are changed.
I used to get all the sci-fi books that were published, because I was reviewing for F&SF. It was far more than I could read. I gave them away, because I think it's not ethical to SELL something you were given, especially since you did NOT return fair value (i.e., you did not review the book). But some prisons can use books - even really bad sci fi books <grin>. So the books will get read, perhaps - and make a difference in someone's life, perhaps. Which is way better than if some collector buys them, puts them in plastic, and nobody EVER reads the copy at all.
When I stopped reviewing, it took years to get the publishers to stop sending me advance review copies. These things are really expensive to make - much more expensive per copy than the finished book - and I couldn't understand that some of them would be so careless with those review copies that they would keep sending them to someone who wasn't a reviewer and kept begging them to stop.
[ April 08, 2005, 02:54 AM: Message edited by: Orson Scott Card ]
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Ok, almost done with my uncorrected proof. I know I’m slow. I pretty much only read just before going to sleep. Plus, I had to finish “Revenge of the Sith” though. Wow… the movie is going to be great (wish they’d get better writers for these books). It was an interesting story that lets you see how Anakin turns into Vader. Gotta love a well thought out bad guy who actually has a purpose. But oh yeah, “Magic Street”. Sweetness. This book is great. I’m anxious to see what is going to happen in the end. Seeing the puzzle come together completely has been quit enjoyable. The typically well developed characters make you want more. I have been wondering where Scott got his black culture themes checked from. Anyway….. I’m loving it.
Posted by Bretagne (Member # 7852) on :
That's reassuring. I was disappointed by SW I & II, and I was worried about III since I loved the OT so much. So now I won't feel bad about going to see it on my dad's birthday Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
Jay,
They actually had big name writers for the first 2 SW books...I believe Brooks and Salvatore. This is the first one that wasn't a real "big name" They just had a crappy screen play to work from.
Did you think that this book wasn't done very well? I haven't picked it up yet...but I read the first two.
Speaking of movie books, I thought Peter David did an amazing job with the book for Spiderman 1. I was actually a bit disapointed with the movie, since I thought it took out a lot of the emotion that was in the book.
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
There were points in Revenge of the Sith book where I could tell this guy wasn't very experienced. Just in some of the flows of transitions. It seemed to get better the further along ya got, but that might of just been because the pace was picking up. They should have let OSC do it! But Magic Street. Wow…. Good stuff. Can’t wait to see the tour dates too!
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Should have "let" me do it? They don't HAVE enough money to GET me to do it. Turn a Lucas script into a novel? WHY? (Sorry. I know you enjoy them. But if I write a novel in a second-rate universe, I at least want it to be MY second-rate universe.)
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
So, uh, how do you become a reviewer for F&SF? Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Ok, note to self.
Yoda word of wisdom:
“Young Jedi must be very very careful when trying to pay OSC compliment.”
By the way, you made the Abyss into a good novel.
Posted by Avicus (Member # 7652) on :
If they're hand outs from a place of business and someone is selling some extra copies they got at work they can easily trace the ISBN and that dingus will soon loose his/her job. I wonder if it was worth it?
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Wow…. Another great book. I loved the way the bad guy was set up in the story. The acknowledgement section was really great with describing how the story came together and the research you did. I particularly liked the way other short stories were incorporated into the main story. Neat. Makes those sort of a separate story with in a bigger story. One of the greatest things with these kind of OSC books is that you can show these off to your non sci-fi friends (those exist?). I know you never reopen these sort of stories, but there are so many possibilities with this one! Thanks for another great one to add to the family. I’m anxious to get the hardback here in a few months.
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It's never something I've had cause to really think about. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Not really much to delurk for.
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